A tale of I am older than my time - an eighth or 20th year story
by Keiara Brinn
Summary: Hermione finds herself again on platform 9 3/4 this time a young woman catches her attention. She can't believe what she sees. She works tirelessly to uncover a long kept secret. No M content as of yet but there probably will be later
1. Chapter 1

An eighth or twentieth year tale

Hermione was one of few students who had chosen to return to eighth year, it was a strange feeling of dread mixed with a sense of coming home that greeter as she walked through the schools doors. She and the few others who chose to return were given a wing of their own to stay in. The wing was beautifully crafted of dark mahogany woods, and beautiful golden filigree. Each student was given their own room within the wing and each room was adorned with students name in gold, she stopped outside the door with her name on it and surveyed the names on the doors around the room.

It occurred to her that is was a bit strange that at their age that there was no separation of the genders. Hormones and all, bad blood and worse. Some of the male students were in the common area already beginning to make remarks and she was appalled at the way Ron was participating basically telling anyone in their year that would listen that he would her first and Hogwarts was going to make it possible. The topic of conversation angered her but seeing all the returning students all together acting so easy with each other regardless of background did bring a bit of a smile to her face.

Hermione moved herself into her room set her bag down, walked back outside the door. She was so frustrated with continued conversation the behaviour of the boys that a ball of energy began to form in the pit of her stomach

"Unum sepositam et conditam" the words rushed from her mouth like a spell.

The paintings in the room gasped as her door glowed a gentle blue all the way around the frame and a string of magic lead back to Hermione's hand encircling it. The light faded and she stepped back inside her room.

Harry and Ron came running up to her door and were met with a wall of blue magic that stopped them from entering flattening their noses in an amusing way. Hermione let out a giggle waved her hand at them and the door closed.

"Hey, wandless?" Harry pouted, as he tried the door to find that no matter what he did the door would not open.

"Ehem" The unforgettable sound of Minerva McGonagall clearing her throat from behind them while the rest of the students in the common room looked on.

The two boys turned to face a familiar frowning face of McGonagall who waved her hand to have the two move out of her way and she tried the door which would not open for her either.

"Hermione Granger, please open this door."

The door flew open and Hermione's face showed that she was not at all expecting to see McGonnagal on the other side.

"Hermione, please repeat this barrier spell for me." Hermione could never tell if Minerva was pleased or displeased with a situation.

Hermione fumbled a little as she pulled her suitcase to in front of Minerva. The case glowed green to signal that it had not already been charmed as Minerva waved her hand in front of it before nodding at Hermione to begin.

Hermione took a deep breath, she found she couldn't access the feeling in the pit of her stomach and she looked to Harry who was whispering to Ron and they were both giggling quietly probably about something unrelated. It was enough, she once again felt the magic build in the pit of her stomach before she spelled her suitcase the same way she did her door.

Minerva nodded in approval she was genuinely impressed. It had been so long since someone had created a new charm at Hogwarts. If her memory served it was Snape who had done it last so a few generations had passed through the halls since then.

"Please have everyone test your new charm on their own rooms , I should like to see what level this spell should be included in the curriculum at. We expect to see you all for dinner." With that she left the youths on their own to teach and learn a new charm.

Harry had it down as soon as Hermione explained the feeling in the pit of her stomach. Malfoy was quick to catch on as well. The others soon followed charming their own rooms from the entry of all others. Neville's charm took some time, had the same effect, but glowed green instead of blue.

The group descended the stairs together and headed to the great hall for the standard greeting dinner for students. The room was empty save McGonagall and Madame Pomfrey, both with stoic expressions. McGonagall addressed the hall with a spell to amplify her voice.

"Eighth year students, I come before you this year with the joy of a rebuilt Hogwarts, and the sadness of the return after such a great loss of life. This year will be one of the most important of your lives, a way to set the magical world back on track."

Ms. Pomfrey moved and placed the sorting hat before the group of older students.

"This year you shall be expected to carry more than just your studies."

The hat began to sing and the students all went quiet knowing it could be a prophecy.

"Pure blood magic reigns no here more,

the child of the stars must be born,

though you all are tired and worn,

your generation is still torn,

Your lives you still have to live,

but this year is one more year to give

this generations magic is great

but not always the life choices you make."

The hat wasn't quite finished as he was moved to the table beside the chair on the stage, Hermione struggled to hear the last of the hat's song as he was muffled by Pomfrey as he was moved.

"that is why these choices I make,

a hidden generation

we must together create,

children from children of this magical nation"

Minerva's voice rang through the hall once more.

"Please come to the front as you name is called."

~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~

The sun beamed through the window on to Hermione's face as she opened her eyes. She blinked back the dream and let a tear slide down her face as she remembered what day it was. Today is the day she has to drop Rose off at Platform 9 3/4 for another term. She loved her children, maybe, a little too much and could be compared a bit to the older but she always felt like she had more love to give and so she smothered her children in it daily.

Their morning went mostly as planned and they arrived on the platform at the same time as some familiar faces and once again she found herself, chatting with Harry and Ginny. While Malfoy acknowledged them from a far.

This year, however, a young woman heading for the train caught her eye. She had to be in her final year based on what Hermione guessed her age to be. It was the colour of her eyes that caught Hermione's attention at first, but it was her hair that caught the attention of another parent on the platform. She peaked over at him as he shot her a look of both query and fear. His mind flashed back to the dreams he had been plagued with for years. He forced half a smile and Hermione did the same but it didn't prevent her from casting a quick spell under her breath while they exchanged their glance.

She and Ron returned home to the same awkward silence that had grown to be the norm between them. Hermione spent the evening playing a game with Hugo before tucking him in for his story. She sat on his bed side as she read, the sound of a gentle pecking caught her mid sentence.

A large grey owl flapped haphazardly at the little boys window, the grumpy owl tapped when she hadn't already begun to move to let him in. Hermione smiled and mumbled at the grumpy owl that she was getting there but instead of getting up she waved her hand and using wandless, wordless magic she let the owl in. Her son's eyes were wide from his spot under the covers.

"Woah, Mom!" He exclaimed before he was distracted watching the owl hop over and hand his mother the parchment from his leg. Hugo's legs were getting twitchy under the covers and Hermione gave him to ok to run downstairs for the owl treats. He took off without even putting his slippers on and she smiled as she listened to the sound of his bare feet slapping down on the wooden floor as he ran.

The boy returned with the treats, in two shakes of a lamb's tale or so her mother would have said. The thought of her mother flashed the face of the girl and her eyes back into Hermione's mind albeit briefly as she helicoptered over her son while he pulled the treats from the bag. Hugo fed the owl who had hopped to one of the bed posts. The owl hooted its appreciation before it tilted its head for instruction. Hermione quickly apologized to the creature and told him should the letter require a reply she would send their owl and that he could return home. The owl hooted returned to the window and left the two to finish their story.

Hermione almost used the parchement to mark her page after her son's rythmic breathing signalled her to stop reading. She mindlessly ran her finger over the envelopes seal. It was the reason she caught herself and placed the bookmark in the book instead. She gently set the book down on Hugo's side table, pulled his covers up and kissed his forehead. She charmed the milky way onto his ceiling in case he woke up before morning, and blew him one more kiss before turning out his light.

She was just coming down the stairs as Ron was leaving through the front door, barely a smile before he shut the door behind him. They had not been the same since Rose had started school, he worked more than he should and she spent as much time as she could with the children. He didn't even kiss her goodbye or say I love you on his way out anymore, let alone tell her where he went at night. She wasn't sure she really cared as long as she had her children.

Hermione brewed a cup of tea before sitting down in her favourite chair to open the letter, she had pondered talking to Ron about receiving a letter from Mr. Malfoy but he had left before she had the chance or she supposed before she even tried. She braced herself for some form of howler by silencing the room before opening the letter. Instead she found a short note with only a few short sentences.

H,

I saw you.

I saw her.

I saw what you did.

Seeing her made the dreams feel more real.

Do you have them too?

Let me know the results.

D.

A single strand of hair fell from the letter and she moved to catch it before it fell.

Hermione was now on a mission, she had a mystery to solve. She moved herself to the kitchen and began to collect some ingredients. She had to collect some fresh lamb's quarter from the yard to complete the potion. Hermione reached up and very ungracefully pulled a strand of her hair out and dropped it in the pot along with the hair she collected magically from the young lady entering the train and the hair that Malfoy had sent.

The potion was colour coordinated blue for a male genetics match pink for a female genetics match. She stirred three times fast to the left, then three slow and finished with the five slow required to the right before the potion began to glow in front of her.

Hermione collapsed to the ground crying, finally understanding the longing she had felt for so long. She turned her attention from the bright purple potion for a moment to scrawl on a piece of paper a short scribble.

D.

It was positive. I have dreams.

Meet me tomorrow while Hugo is in Muggle studies between 10-4. I will be at the Cauldron.

H.

She was heading to the call her Owl when a strangle elf popped in.

"I beggin your pardon Misses. The master would like me to serve here. Can I's be of help?"

"I don't use elves, I don't condone what has been done to your kind." Hermione said almost sternly.

"oh no misses you misunderstands. I is free, I is paid. I is happy to serve."

"I do my own cleaning and cooking." Hermione said to the elf who began to tear up.

"Whats will I do misses? What's left for Tandy?"

Hermione didn't mean to hurt the creature she quickly back pedalled and told the poor thing that she would learn to share and there was a garden of herbs that often lacked care. Cleaning the bath after her son wasn't fun so help with that could also be nice. The elf was smiling big eyes wide as she wiped her tears away. Hermione mumbled about anything else the elf might want to do.

The gaunt little elf pointed to the scralled note on scroll in Hermione's hand.

"I can deliver letters quick too misses, even to places others cannot go, can I delivers your important letters?"

Hermione watched as the little creature was almost dancing with glee while she asked to deliver the letter and she couldn't say no to the happy little thing.

"Thank you Tandy, that would be most helpful right now. This letter goes to Draco Malfoy and no one else please."

"Yes missus" The elf said with glee as she took the letter and popped away only to return in but a moment.

"The letter is with the Master Draco misses but he said I should goes. Is ok?"

"Yes Tandy, please make yourself at home here, we can create another room where ever you would be comfortable."

"Tandy does it missus, its ok. Missus need more tea? Missus just want to talks? Tandy is here for the missus."

Hermione turned to the little elf and surprising found that she told the creature everything over a second cup of tea. Every dream she remembered, the outcome of the potion and all about Ron. Tandy spoke up.

"Missus, I don't know much about wizard relationships soes I can't speaks to those but Tandy does have magics that can tell your age. Helps you with one thing, no?"

Hermione took a moment to process, then she understood.

"Tandy would you please find out my age?"

"First missus how old do you believe you are?

"36" Hermione said without hesitation.

The little elf leaned forward and placed her hand on Hermione's forehead. Hermione closed her eyes to avoid the glow of the magic.

"Missus Hermione?" The elf began, "I am sad to say that you is not 36, you has lost almost two years missus."

All Hermione could do in the moment was to repeat the words of the little elf in front of her

"Two years..."


	2. Chapter 2

It was hard for Hermione to process, she wanted so much to share with Ron, but he had been so distant, so far from the Ron she grew up with and loved. She waited in her chair until the sun rose before she moved herself to her empty bed. Ron wasn't coming home. She decided she would flew Harry and Ginny about it later while Hugo was eating breakfast.

Hermione's dreams were filled with screams of pain, they resounded through Hogwarts halls, she couldn't find where they were coming from. She wanted to search the castle but was secured to a table the screams were so loud, she wanted desperately to help but she couldn't move. It was that moment that she realized she was the one screaming, that she was the one wailing with such pain. The feeling shook her to her core and her eyes snapped open.

It was a little past eight when she shot out of bed. Hugo would be late for school because she slept in. Hermione thumped down the stairs quickly tying her robe as she went. She shuffled into the kitchen to find Tandy serving up bacon and eggs to Hugo for breakfast. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and surprise.

"Begun your pardon missus. You was still sleepings and the little master was hungries so... I cooked him some breakfasts...I hope is ok missus." The little elf said eyes heading for the floor.

"Tandy, you have saved the day. Hugo would have been late if you hadn't used your own judgment here and I greatly appreciate your actions."

"Tandy did good!" The little elf's ears wiggled as she did a little dance around the kitchen.

"Tandy has one more thing to tells the missus and she hopes the missus isn't mad...Tandy sneaked into the Cauldron last night and she sneaked a looked at the red head grump. Missus, he is as old as you. Tandy wasn't sure if you wanted to know, but honestly missus Tandy was curious and wanted to know. Tandy is sorry if she shouldn't have done it."

"Thank you Tandy, I also wanted to know, but maybe we should have asked his permission first."

"Tandy tried but the grump was too filled with drink to answer straight. Tandy is sorry missus"

Hermione explained that she was meeting someone else today who had dreams like hers and that once Hugo went to school she would like Tandy to accompany her to the Cauldron.

Hugo was happy to be dropped at class and the two continued to the Cauldron where Hermione bought them both a warm butter beer which the elf seemed to thoroughly enjoy. Hermione was giggling at the little elf's beer foam moustache when Malfoy walked in.

He ordered a butter beer and sat down at the table with Hermione, glancing at the elf quickly.

"Really Granger, I get freeing the elves but you don't have to take them for drinks." Malfoy scoffed at her in a half joking manner.

"Draco Malfoy," Hermione greeted him. "somethings never change."

"Tandy this is Draco Malfoy, he is the one with the dreams too." Hermione introduced the little elf.

"Draco please let Tandy tell you your age."

Draco looked displeased he wanted to talk about the girl, not be a part of some party trick.

"I'm 37 Granger, you know that."

Tandy looked to Malfoy who gave in and lowered himself down so the little elf could do her trick.

The elf nodded at Hermione.

"Tandy's had a good break missus, is ok if Tandy works on the garden now?"

"Yes Tandy please do what ever you wish until Hugo is due to come home from school, I am sure he would love for you to make him a snack later, if you would like."

Tandy smiled bright before popping out of the Cauldron.

"What was that about Granger, I thought we were here to discuss the girl."

"We will Malfoy. We will."

Hermione waved a hand a mumbled a quick spell causing their conversation to be private before she told Malfoy of the age difference. Malfoy refused to believe that he was almost forty.

Malfoy mentioned how he had been turned down for potions master. Hermione mentioned that she too had been turned down for a position at Hogwarts. Hermione offered up a pensive and her memory of the test she had preformed on the girls hair but Malfoy dismissed it.

"Don't let it get around, but, I trust you Granger."

Hermione sat silent for a moment processing the words that just came from the mouth of Draco Malfoy. Eventually she snapped out of it spoke up about the lost time, she felt it was connected to the dreams and possibly the girl. The wheels in their heads were turning, the girl was genetically connected to them both and they and Ron had all lost two years.

"She has my eyes Draco, you don't think Hogwarts would...the time turners were all destroyed weren't they..." Her sentence trailed off.

"I don't know what they wouldn't do anymore, someone else could have collected or blood from the battle that day maybe they made a golem." He said as he put his face in his hands.

"Not only did she not feel like a golem but her hair was human or the potion wouldn't have worked, and just so we are clear that is definitely her natural colour."

Their conversation had stalled, and they were almost out of time. Hermione reached into her bag and brought out a book. She pushed it across the table to Malfoy.

"This is every dream I remember, Draco, these include my thoughts and feelings about the dreams. I don't want to end up in 's because you have decided I am crazy after reading these."

"I'm sorry Granger, I can't promise that." he said almost with a grin.

"I haven't written mine down, but I can recount most of them." He said seriously as he took the book and shrunk it to fit in his pocket before moving to leave. "I am working on setting up a parent teacher meeting with all Scorpious' teachers, you should do the same. It will give us a chance to look around maybe see _her_ again. I am setting it up for Saturday. See you there." He stressed.

With that he headed out the door, leaving Hermione enough time to pick up Hugo. When she arrived home Tandy had a plate of different small pieces of fruit with some cheese and crackers for Hugo to eat.

"Missus the grump is upstairs he is been very rude since he gots here."

Tandy nodded when Hermione looked from Hugo to the elf. Hermione moved from the kitchen and silently ascended the stairs. The muffled words of anger and frustration that often came from Ron could be heard while he ranted to himself about the day and the estate of his own life. Hermione listened outside Ron's study door until the ranting died down. He was still mumbling to himself when she heard him say a string of words that caused her to simply break.

She flung his door open and screamed bloody murder at him after casting the Snape's charm. She kept screaming the number three over and over again. When the confused Ron finally got her to calm down she had become to calm.

"Enjoy your new life with your new child Ronald. We don't need you around anymore." Her tone cut through him like ice.

"What...Hermione? What are you talking about?" Ron genuinely seemed oblivious to the words he had spouted in anger just moments before Hermione's outburst. His confusion just angered her further.

"Ronald don't try to pretend that you didn't just talk about having three children and I am certainly not with child. So bloody explain yourself or bloody sod off!"

"I don't know what you are talking about. I only have two kids Hermione, you know that. It's treatment like this that sends me off you know."

"Ronald Weasley! Don't you bloody pretend that your leaving everyday is my fault for talking to you this one time. This wasn't my idea of our perfect life either, but we have it now and I love my children."

"Yeah, more than you will ever love me."

"Are you sodding jealous of our children? Ronald! You need to go stay at your mom's tonight."

"Why? So you can meet with Malfoy again? You know you can't go around playing with Malfoy on the side without someone saying something."

"Ronald, I am not the cheater in this relationship. I have let your dalliances with Lavender go for the past year, but not tonight. I have not seen Malfoy other than to talk. We met one time for a few hours of conversation in a public location and I picked up Hugo after. Unlike you, you repeatedly don't come home to our children, because you are busy drinking or fucking your feelings away. I am a witch Ronald. I have scryed your location on more than one of your nights out and they almost all end up in the same place. Her bed. So don't you try and tell me that I am the one who has jeopardized our marriage by having a single conversation with another man when you have repeatedly stuck your penis in another woman. "

Ron's face had turned purple up to the tips of his ears.

"Ah piss off Hermione, at least I haven't been caught with our worst enemy."

"Ronald," her tone was ice again, "One Malfoy changed years ago and you know it. Two he was never our worst enemy. Stop fuelling the old bullshit, he married Astoria and you know she runs that house she makes him a better person when it comes to dealing with his blood issues. Three I have been talking to Malfoy about something both he and I saw on the platform when we took Rose to school, I would have talked to you about it first, but you were on your way out when I was done tucking Hugo in."

Ron's face froze, his eyes trailed to the floor, he couldn't even look at her. His mind was racing but he couldn't bare to share his thoughts. He should pull the memory and get her to watch the damn thing in a pensive, but he won't. What he saw the day he brought Rose her favourite bear last year. He didn't want to relive that memory so instead he bottled it up, pushed it away, and boozed to forget.

His mind flashed a picture of that group up against his will. There was maybe nine or ten students moving as a together down the hall. Their behaviours were as familiar as were their faces but they weren't quite right. The girls stood out the most, the platinum blonde with Hermione's eyes, the dark skinned red head, the curly haired blonde with unmistakable green eyes, a girl who reminded him of Neville, and the hardest to picture was the pug nosed red head. He couldn't help but stare in that moment and it seemed to burn the image into his mind.

By the time Ron had arrived home that night, he had decided it was Hermione's fault. She should have gone to the school. She should have seen. She should have known. She was the one who was supposed to plan for everything. She had let him down, or at least he convinced himself that she had.

That night his dreams began, he blamed Hermione for those too of course. Her nightmares were affecting him causing his brain to process her stories as his own dreams. He really did do a good job of convincing himself that none of it was real at all. He glanced at Hermione with the blank stare he had learned to display since his last visit to Hogwarts.

"Leave, go to her, for all I care. Tonight is not a night for you to stay here." Hermione raised her arm and pointed to the door, she showed him no emotion on his way out.

"Hermione." He managed through his gritted teeth just as he stepped over the rooms threshold. "I swear...I .." He stumbled to make something plausible up rather than talk about those girls.

"Go Ronald" She said all to calmly not turning to watch him slink out of the house.

`~~~~~~()~~~~~~

Malfoy sat in his favourite chair holding Hermione's notebook. He had put the notes out of his mind for the majority of the day, but as soon as things had quieted down he found he couldn't keep his mind from them. Astoria was having a rough day and had headed upstairs to bed, she cried for a whole day last year when Scorpius attended his first term at Hogwarts. She was maybe a little too attached to the boy but at least it wasn't to Weasley proportions.

He poured himself a glass of brandy taking a small sip before he put it down again. He let out a deep breath as he caressed the corner of the book with his finger before finally opening the cover.

"Never was cut out for Gryffindor." He whispered to himself with a bit of a chuckle before skimming through the notes on paper.

The beginnings of her dreams were filled with almost the memories of his own, sometimes differing colours. One of the notes mentioned the return to Hogwarts but the sorting hat had been brought out again. There was screaming and pain in another of her dreams, as he read further he realized the screaming and pain was in most of them. Sadness in the eyes of her friends when they look her up and down in yet another still. It was only last night she discovered the screaming in her dreams was coming from her dream-self. The dream that struck him the hardest was one of the last in the journal where Hermione described being tied down while McGonagall reprimanded her. Telling her that if she would just let go they could all finally go home. She wrote that in her dream she thought she heard a animal cry out and it just caused her dream-self to go into fits of utter anguish. The dream McGonagall always frowned and left her alone in the room that looked and felt like a prison cell.

Malfoy couldn't put it down so many of the things from their dreams were the same. The cell, the sadness in friends eyes, the sound of screaming and crying in the halls. He was determined to flew Blaise tomorrow and ask if he knows of anyone else from school who has had strange dreams. He wrote Hermione a quick message and sent it by owl.

"If she is sleeping just leave the note outside the front door" He instructed the owl as he tied the note with an easy to remove ribbon.

They owl flew fast as he could fly remembering that the house he headed to had treats. Hermione heard a gentle tap at her window and she moved to let the owl in. She gave him a few treats in exchange for the note and owl made his way to the edge of the table while he waited patiently for her to read the note.

H,

If you haven't already spoken to Potter. Please do so in the morning. Your dreams are very similar to mine, except the part where you are crazy. That is all you Granger.

D.

She huffed and crumpled the note throwing it into the fire.

"Draco...Malfoy... telling me to contact Harry as if I wasn't going to do so already." It was at that moment she realized that she had intended on speaking to Harry this morning before she spoke with Malfoy something which she had not done. Hermione turned her attention to the owl again. She created a new piece of parchment and wrote with a bit of fury back to Malfoy.

D,

Goddammit Malfoy! I was going to speak to Harry this morning, I ended up not remembering as I was rushing a bit today. Thanks for somehow making me feel like I never left Hogwarts.

H.

She strapped the note to the owl, gave him one more treat and he hooted on his way out.

Draco could only chuckle fondly at Hermione's reply.

She made her way to bed, she cried for a long while over her husband's behaviour before drifting off to sleep.

This nights dream was all too vivid. She dreamt of childbirth. Lonely, painful, childbirth. No one there to help her, no one there to catch the child. She manages herself in the dream. Once the afterbirth passes a muffled spell is cast outside her door. The dream breaks up and when it resumes she is alone in the cell with no signs of what has transpired but she hears the sound of her door shutting. There was a resounding sense of loss and the silence that filled her cell. That sense of loss doesn't leave her after these dreams. In fact the feeling only becomes worse for her after each one. The loss she felt caused her to wake to tears streaming down her face. Hermione without thinking transcribed the dream and her feelings into the book with a quick wave of her hand. It wasn't until moments later she remembered that she had given to Malfoy to read.

Malfoy was mid-conversation with Zambini when he felt the heat of the magic in his pocket. He paused while he read the new dream and shivered. He did not wish such events even his worst enemy...

Hermione flewed Harry and Ginny while Hugo ate. Tandy wanted to take the little master to school which allowed her the morning to spend with Ginny and Harry who took the day to come to Hermione's side. They discussed their own dreams though none compared to Hermione's worst. They contacted anyone they could think of that was a student after the second wizarding war and ended up of a list of twenty names that had dreams of Hogwarts.

Hermione pointed out that all the people who were having dreams all had children in Hogwarts. Ginny was in her element she was organizing a get together of all twenty of the students including her stubborn arse of a brother. They would meet with the teachers, allow a select few to find some time to look around the school as well as meet for drinks after to discuss the dreams and anything else that may come up. Ginny can be very persuasive, she found out Malfoy had a meeting on the Saturday it gave her president to request the rest of the meeting and Ginny managed to break down McGonagall after a long effort to drop the idea.

McGonagall sat in her green arm chair next to the painting of Dumbledore.

"Oh dear Albus, do you think they know? Did they find out what we have done?"

"I don't think so Minerva, I am afraid that this has just begun. I believe we will end up revealing everything for better or for worse before this year is up. She is coming Minerva. Very soon and we must prepare."

The painting huffed and threw his arms up as he mumbled to himself about a meddling trio...time to let the next generation do theirs.

"We will have to move them. Maybe a day trip to Hogsmeade is in order."

Albus nodded and Minerva drank her tea threw pursed lips.

~~~~~~()~~~~~~

McGonagall stood at the base of the newest staircase in Hogwarts waiting for the students to send them off on their well earned day at Hogsmeade. She decided not to wait any longer, frowning she ascended the stairs to their common room. There were ten doors with names scribed in silver on each of the doors. Though each one of them served as a daily reminder of what she had done she couldn't bare to stay away.

"Ehhem" Minerva cleared her throat loudly from the common room.

Starr was the first to exit her room, she was petite, her wavy blonde hair hit past her jumper and her big bright green eyes sparkle with a bit of a mischievous glint. She went to say something but Minerva covered her lips with her finger to say shh and surprisingly the girl listened. It was only a moment before the remaining students pushed their way into the common room laughing not being at all affected by the look on Minerva's face.

"Oh you bloody students are going to be the death of me." Minerva huffed as she lead them down to the front door for their fun day at Hogsmeade.

At the front door she half fawned over the students as they left the building straightening collars and fixing out of place hairs.

"Don't stay out too late. I know your fun time is precious so I will not keep you any further." With that ten students headed out the door.

Not a moment too soon Minerva thought as the first crack of the flew resounded through the hall.

~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~~~

An emaciated hand wraps around a half open stone grave. The hand's blackened finger nails are long and unruly but distinctly feminine.

The collective voices repeating one word in latin over and over. It created a hum of sound just outside the room holding the stone grave. Resurgemus the crowd of voices repeated. The voices repeated the word until they heard the clatter of the lid of the stone casket.

~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~

Both Starr and Lyra stopped dead in the path on the way to Hogsmeade. The colour drained from the whites of their eyes, "Resurgemus has been cast, she is coming." They repeated the warning four times in unison before the colour returned to their eyes and they finally began to return the strange looks they found their friends to be giving them.

~~~~~~()~~~~~~~

One small voice spoke up from the crowd.

"She has risen."


	3. Chapter 3

Mist, driven by a force unseen, billows out of the stone casket as a thin dark form rises from the darkness. The dark figure approached the direction of the voices that called it once more to the cold damp megalith of Stonehenge, now its only thought to regain the strength that had been taken from it so long ago. Those with magic felt as the creature approached and cunningly offered up the unsuspecting humans amongst them to the beast they had resurrected. When the mist finally cleared, a beautiful dark haired woman stood next to the emaciated bodies of the humans the small coven had brought with them. The tallest of the figures removed his cloak and wrapped it around the woman before leading her to the exit of the hidden chamber beneath the monument. The mans face unmistakable to those that new him. He turns to face her as he leads her out, Rookwood smiled as he watched her beautiful form ascend into the light. Her eyes squint against the brightness but her lips curl into a bewitching smile.

~~~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~~~

The twenty gathered in the great hall while Minerva figited near the front of the room waiting for the last of those she had wronged to simmer down. She cleared her throat and began to address the room, when Ginny cut her off.

"Don't worry Minerva, we have made our appointments with the teachers and we all know where to go, you need not concern yourself with our little group. We all know what we are here for." She smiled at Minerva as she finished and watched as the older woman became even more uncomfortable.

Minerva quickly straightened herself and used her wand to make her voice resonate across the room.

"Although you were once students here you have not been in some time, there are wings that are under construction and we would prefer you do not enter those wings at this time. Your cooperation is expected and appreciated." Minerva put on her best frown as her former students trailed out of the room to go and speak with their children's teachers.

The twenty split up looking to distract as many of the teachers at Hogwarts as possible, Harry was left to speak with McGonagall while Malfoy, Hermione, and Ginny to look around, especially at the wings they have learned are under construction.

There were two new wings and three staircases to explore, the three split up each taking a staircase Ginny took the wing by itself while Hermione and Draco took the wing with the duel staircases.

Ginny's wing lead to nothing, it was actually under construction, Draco's staircase lead to a games room the appeared to be in use, contrary to the under construction sign on the door. The two met on the third set of stairs only to catch Hermione telling a painting that she would conger a can of turpentine should it fail to open up. The treat was enough and all three entered the room.

Hermione took note of each silver name writen above each door, she took in the sights and the scents while Ginny cried at the sight of a group photo. Ginny was still holding the photo when Minerva cleared her throat from behind the trio, Harry's voice calling out sorry from a few steps behind.

"You have no right to be here!" Minerva's voice boomed at them.

Hermione scoffed at the woman.

"We have no right, Minerva McGonagall do not get me started on who has what rights in this situation. I will remember the details and when I do, Minerva, I will make sure that those involved pay dearly for what has been done." Hermione shouldered Minerva on her way out of the room.

"We will talk again soon Mirerva, don't think for a second that I will leave this alone." Hermione called out as Malfoy and Ginny still clutching the photo caught up and all three shot the now nervous McGonagall a knowing look before descending the staircase and heading back to the group that had once again collected in the great hall.

The group was going to head home when Ginny decided that as a group they should go for a drink at Hogsmeade, if nothing more, they could share more of the details of their dreams.

The group left from Hogwarts and was headed into Hogsmeade, they were discussing the rooms and the names and speculating on the photo when a group of students could be seen approaching. The boy and girl in the front of the group both started shouting and pointing at the group of parents.

"Look, look a bunch of genetic material donators. Shall we finally find out what their excuses are?" Screamed the boy in front while the girl simply called the adults names.

Harry shouted back. "Oy, whats all this about then? I never donated any of my genetic material, what is this kid talking about." Harry quieted a bit before he asked if they served liquor to kids now but as they group approached it was plain to see that what the boy shouted was more truth than anyone wanted to believe. It confirmed their dreams were true.

"I don't care if the trillians like you daddy, I sure don't!" She huffed as only Luna could in their youth. Harry looked at Luna and she nodded this beautiful girl with blonde waves and bright green eyes belonged to them. They were strangely sure.

Hermione ran towards the girl with the platinum blonde hair wanting nothing more than to hold her close but the girl put up a barrier spell keeping her back.

"I have dreams about you" Hermione called through the barrier. "I just want to be near you." Tears streamed down Hermione's face and as she looked into the girls hate filled eyes she finally remembered everything, it all came flooding back in a instant her body was forced to relieve the pain of birth and the horrific separation from her first born. Hermione screamed grabbed her head before slumping to the ground just outside the barrier.

The youths scoffed at the fallen women and moved as a group back to Hogwarts and passed the remaining adults who studied their faces on the way by. The children called their parents names as they passed but the most seething words came from Lyra's mouth as she told them all they were never good enough to be parents and that they should never have been allowed to breed, and that anything they do now is too little too late.

Ronald should have gone to Hermione's side, but he hesitated and let himself be drawn further into depression, so instead a semi-reluctant Malfoy moved toward her. He picked her almost weightless form from the ground without a word he apparated the confused adults to Malfoy manor. Three house elves appeared, to serve the groups needs for chairs, drinks and even comforting words. Malfoy whisked Hermione away to the closest bedroom, and Ronald just sat on the chair he was given sipping from the large glass of fire whiskey he had requested.

Ronald raised his glass to Malfoy who could only continue to carry the remarkably light Hermione while he furrowed his brow at the Weasley who was now slumped into a heap by the fire. Malfoy contemplated what this really meant. He couldn't think of where else to go and so he brought her to his wife's room. He lay Hermione down next to Astoria.

Astoria stirred from her slumber, she looked over to see a pale Hermione in her bed and around the room to find a distraught Draco pacing near the foot of the large four post bed. Astoria rose and ran her hand over Hermione's head as she spoke a incantation.

"She will be fine, Love. Your first and new love is going to out live me by several millenia." Astoria smiled at her husband from her position on the bed.

"Astoria, I ..." Draco looked at the floor as he approached his wifes side, "I am sorry, I do not want to cause any ill will, or even suggest that she ..." His voice trailed off and he hung his head knowing he would just make matters worse if he lied now.

"Oh Draco, there is no need to hide your feelings here, you know love was never our strong suit we were much better at keeping up appearances and fulfilling duties. We also know that I creep every closer to the grave with each passing day. I shant make Scorpius' next school break, though I don't enjoy thinking of you with another woman, and there are very few I would trust with my son. She is the only one who would truly love him. You will find no better to protect and love our offspring when I can no longer be there for him. She will wake soon and perhaps she is not ready to hear such conversations. Her and the Weasel have been on the outs for over a year but I don't believe her ready to jump into bed with a Malfoy" Astoria finished with the very aire of a queen.

"Well my dear heart, it seems that she already has, we well her and I have an almost grown daughter one that has been concealed from us. McGonagall has really over stepped this time. My child held from me, her mind and body taken from her, I suspect the only reason she ended up with that Weasel in the first place." He growled as he finished. He reached for Astoria's hand and she held it out for him and he placed it against his chest.

"I live for you as long as you breath." The words left his lips with more truth than any that had left them before and Astoria knew.

She felt his heart beating in his chest solely for her, she shed a tear and she whispered, "for as long as I live" as she leaned in to place her head where her hand had been. They didn't move from their embrace for a long moment.

Hermione lay still her mind ablossom with the possibilities of the conversation beside her, though she was more occcupied with the things her daughter said and why that Witch Minerva had done what she had done to the group of eigth year students. Hermione accidentally voiced her frustration at the thought and the couple beside her moved apart. Hermione contimplated for a moment before she sat up, and Malfoy quickly came to her aid to help her sit before returning to her feet. Astoria waved the two off before leaning back into her fluffy pillows, if she was to die she would do so in comfort with no want for anything other than more time with her son. She was content, it was strange she felt so light so free. She congerred a quil and some parchment.

Ginny finally snapped out of seeing two Weasley children she didn't remember, "What the bloody hell. I had some dreams well more like nightmares, are we deciding here and now that they were real all this time? That Mrs. McGonagall could have anything to do with such deeds? Are we?"

The group concerned that the thought was a horror to be sure and they worked as a team to construct as best as they could their missing year from each former Hogworts students nightmares. Just as they were finishing Draco reappeared with Hermione who was now awake. Hermione filled in the last few blanks and it painted a very bleak portrait of the new Hogwarts.

"We were separated into rooms and potioned into carnal acts with people we did or didn't love, we were kept there until those unions produced offspring. If the offspring wasn't what they wanted they forced it out." Hermione's face was pale and she wept. "The girls were then kept in cells until the eventual end of gestation. We were left alone for the birth and the children were taken along with our memories of them. When some of us clung to the memories, we were tortured into believing we were crazy and that we were the reason others still suffered. The worst part of this being it was someone we all trusted who did this to us, our children and our families. McGonagall." She said that woman's name with a contempt that even she didn't know she had.

"I propose that we speak to McGonagall about it." Harry said with all sincerity.

"I propose we cast a freezing spell on the witch before we do." Malfoy threw in.

"We need a proper plan, it is McGonagall after all, and who knows what she is really capable of." Ron put his two cents in, and surprisingly his input was reasonable.

"I don't care what she has to say, she is going to feel every moment of pain that I have felt." Hermione's voice was dark and ragged. "She will not be allowed to do this to another generation of Hogwarts students. My eldest daughter, I missed her whole life and it appears she has been raised to hate me, they have been raised to hate us. I do not know what purpose such things would fulfill.

"There are dark things at work here, the nargals have all left Hogwarts." Luna chimed in. "My eldest daughter is beautiful and could you sense the power the group held. More than we ever could. They are the strongest I have ever felt, stronger than you know who."

The room was dead silent when the quill left Astoria's hand and fell to the floor, the group ran up the stairs, as Draco flung open the bedroom door it was apparent that her soul had left her body shortly after he and Hermione had returned downstairs.

There were three letters in her lap and the quill she used to write them on the floor. As Draco read the letter he dropped to his knees, his obvious emotions shocked the group and Hermione and Luna both came to his aid. He shakily stood with the assistance of the two women and he read the letter for the group.

Draco, my love,

I shall miss you and the love you have brought this cold heart. Take care of my heart who is our son, your daughter and the children you are destined to be blessed with in the future. Your children will do great things, you must do your best to bring them into the world. Your destiny does not stop because of my death, my love, I was just a step along the way. I have seen a great evil growing overseas, she will come for your children, Draco, you must convince them to protect themselves as sadly none of us are strong enough. Their collective destiny is required for both the wizarding and muggle worlds to survive. You must convince them of the power they hold before it is too late. You must build trust among each other and the children. When your children hold her you must be dealing with her followers. Draco, when it is over and the day is truly won you must go to her. She will not be the one to come to you, but if you let her she can heal these wounds and those of our son.

Goodbye dear heart,

Astoria Malfoy

Draco held the two other letters in his hand one address to Scorpius and one to his daughter. He speculated on their contents but instead he called forth a house elf who was instructed to deliver the letters his children. The elf popped away with the letters and he returned in but a moment with a tearful Scorpius who burst into the room he wrapped his arms around his mothers body while he wept openly before the crowded room. The elf had popped out and returned again shaking his head.

"The girl was shielded by magics beyond me, master. I delivered the letter to the safe side of her bed chambers barrier. I am hopin dat be enough."

Draco nodded at the little elf as he began to regain a sense of reality. He was once again standing of his own accord and his angry side was beginning to peak out as he didn't know how to deal. Luna's soft voice in his ear helped keep him from exploding and the two women lead him to his room.

He had time to make the arrangements, the two women assured him of it while they removed his shoes and force him to get under the covers before magicking the remainder of his suit off. Luna held Draco arms and legs with a spell while Hermione produced a calming draught and poured it down his throat. The two women left a calm sleepy Draco and returned to Astoria's bedroom to cast a time freeze spell only to find Harry and Ginny had done so and begun to make the arrangements that they knew Malfoy would not wish to do. It was fairly easy after all Astoria would be buried in the Malfoy memorial on the same side that has been reserved for Scorpius since his birth. It was customary to give three days notice and that it would be a formal event held at Malfoy manor before her casket would be portalled to the memorial and she would be magically encased in stone before being lifted into place. Ginny enlisted a house elf to help her find Malfoy's address book and the owls were set loose by the end of the day.

Hermione congered a howler in front of Ginny who could only smirk.

~~~~~~~0~~~~~~~~

The children returned to Hogwarts with questions for McGonagall but they had split into two groups those that believed their parents didn't want them and those that believe that something else was going on.

"We all know the story, Aunt Minnie told us many times" Lyra began to the group. "We know that our parents were dating in eighth year and how a euphoria potion got out of control and it lead to a massive number of unwanted children. Some were accepted and unfortunately our parents didn't stay together and were afraid that having a child in high school would ruin there future prospects and so they left us behind when they left Hogwarts. There is no pretending that they loved us or wanted us. We all know that." She finished.

"Did you see their faces, it was like some of them didn't even know we existed." Starr piped up.

"Is it possible that what we have been told isn't true, your mom she said she just wanted to be near you, didn't she?" Aiame quietly added.

The banter went back and forth on whether or not they had been told the truth about their beginnings. Some of the group were beginning to lean to the side of maybe something else was going on when the distinct clearing of Minerva's throat came from behind the group.

"I understand we have some things to discuss." Minerva said with her lips tightly pursed.

"Aunt Minnie, why didn't our parents act like they knew us, it was like they had never seen us before?" Starr questioned.

"Well sweet Starr, it seems that some of them have pushed you so far from their minds and memories that they completely forgotten you. I am so sorry my darlings. I have not loved you enough, I know I am not two parents but I tried my best" She finished her guilt trip just as Hermione's howler burst into the room and although she tried to silence it, the damn thing had been spelled to resist her magic.

"MINERVA MCGONAGALL HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY CHILD! HOW DARE YOU LET MALFOY USE MY BODY AND FOR YOU TO DESTROY PARTS OF MY MIND TO FURTHER WHATEVER YOUR PLANS ARE. I SWEAR MINERVA, THE NEXT TIME WE MEET YOU HAD BEST BE PREPARED. I AM COMING FOR MY DAUGHTER, AND THEN MINERVA I AM COMING FOR YOU!" The howler finished and then blew up in Minerva's face.

The students stared in awe of the ash covered face of their once beloved Aunt Minnie. Lyra stormed off in a huff, her blonde hair whipped as she passed McGonagall without even a second glance. The boys stood one by one, and a few shook their heads as they moved to their respective rooms each closing the door to contimplate what just happened.

"Auntie Min...what have you done?" Starr said just before she closed her door.

Minerva was left teary eyed in the common area, the children she loved and raised had just learned some of the truth and they had already begun to reject her. She would soon be alone but hopefully they would be ready for what is to come. She was never the strongest of witches and even she could already sense the power growing, though it had moved further away, it has gotten considerably stronger. Minerva couldn't tell if Hermione remembered everything, the mere idea brought the memories crashing back through her mind. She could hear Hermione crying every time the child was declared a boy and they forced another fetus from her womb. More spells were cast and the young Malfoy was given overdoses of euphoria before forcing him onto the still mentally and distraught Hermione. Dimming the lights on their way out before reminding Hermione she would be more fertile after the procedure and to just let nature take its course once more. She had to see that look of pain on Hermione's face more times than she cared to admit, fifteen times she forced a Malfoy heir from Hermione's womb. Other combinations only took two or three tries. Minerva required the strongest of combinations and the rarest of gene sets if she wished to defeat the coming evil. These would have to be the most powerful witches and warlocks to ever walk the earth. Dumbledore had gained an army through trust and necessity, she had bred one.


End file.
